


Loving you's the antidote

by perrienova



Category: Little Mix (Band)
Genre: Disabled Character, F/F, based loosely on golden by harry styles, this is pure self indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23864287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perrienova/pseuds/perrienova
Summary: Jade is working on coping with her disability when she meets Perrie at group therapy. They hit it off. This is just self indulgence from a disabled writer.
Relationships: Perrie Edwards/Jade Thirlwall
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Loving you's the antidote

**Author's Note:**

> I have the disorders Jade has in this fic, it was really nice to get them out onto paper! Part of @lookuplaughing's Fine Line challenge.

Jade’s leg bounced uncontrollably in the uncomfortable doctor’s office chair. She held the handle of her purple cane in her hands, fidgeting with it as she waited. Her curly blonde-ish brown-ish hair was tied into a messy bun, her face free of makeup. She’d been wearing the same set of clothes for three days. The dark circles under her eyes were difficult to miss. 

Finally, her neurologist returned. 

“Sorry about that, where were we? Ah, yes. You’ll do inpatient EEG down the road and then go to Stanford’s autonomic clinic. Until then, you’re going to be starting amitriptyline for your migraines, see if that works better than the topimax or immitrex…”

Jade knew that everything the doctor was saying would be in her after-visit summary, so she didn’t pay much attention. 

Inpatient, clinic, new med. 

Jade switched her cane from her right hand to her left to shake the neurologist’s hand, switching it back afterwards to let it carry some of her weight. The wrist brace on her right hand prevented her from getting the best grip on the handle, but it worked. Lesser of two evils: if she doesn’t wear the wrist brace, it’s harder to use the cane, but if she doesn’t use the cane, she can barely walk. 

Through the hallway Jade went. As she walked she felt the arthritis in her back flare up from having sat down for so long. Her knees were throbbing under their braces as well. Upon reaching her car, she slumped down in the driver’s seat, taking as deep of breaths as she could. Her asthma was acting up now too. It was always one thing after the other. If her fibromyalgia was triggered, her fatigue started up, and that would get her migraine going, which would make her asthma a problem. It felt like an endless cycle of pain and fatigue. 

After a few minutes of resting, Jade started the car. She had group today. It was the only thing that seemed to help the mental side of her illness. She didn’t talk much during group, but listening was nice. It was cathartic. 

Jade parked her car outside the office building in which her group was held. Her cane made a faint clicking noise against the pavement as she walked inside. Inside, they had coffee and cookies this time. She was faced with the dilemma of deciding which one to get, since she could only carry one thing. Deciding on a cookie, Jade grabbed it and sat down in the circle of chairs. She took a bite. 

“Is it any good?” came a voice from Jade’s left. Jade turned her head to look at a blonde, pixie-ish woman in a wheelchair. 

“It’s good, yeah,” Jade answered, then took another bite. 

“Oh, wonderful. I spent forever on them yesterday,” the woman said. 

Jade nodded slowly as she chewed. 

“I’m Perrie,” said the woman. 

“Jade.” 

Perrie smiled. “Beautiful name.”

“Oh, I - thank you.” Jade was a bit caught off guard by this woman’s sincerity. 

As more people filtered into the room, Jade and Perrie continued to chat. 

“Is this your first time here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” Jade was sure she would have remembered Perrie. 

“Yeah, it was suggested by my regular therapist,” Perrie replied. 

Nodding, Jade responded, “I’ve been coming here for a few months. I think it really helps.” 

“That’s good to hear,” Perrie said, smiling. Jade couldn’t help but smile back. 

Group went about the same as usual, with Jade not saying much and mostly listening to what everyone else was saying. She couldn’t help but be fully engaged when Perrie spoke, though. 

“I have cerebral palsy, I’ve been dealing with it my whole life but the restrictions just really get to me sometimes. All I want is to be able to do all the things other people can do,” Perrie said. 

Jade could relate to that. There was so much she missed being able to do. 

Group ended unceremoniously, everyone beginning to disperse until it was only Jade and Perrie left. Perrie was twiddling her fingers. 

“Jade?” Perrie said.

“Yeah?” 

“Do you maybe want to grab a cup of coffee with me sometime?” 

-

It was a flare day. On days like these, the full body pain Jade normally felt was dialled up to eleven, the fatigue was unbearable, the migraine so bad it hurt to see. She rolled over in bed, grabbing her phone to check the time. Her coffee date with Perrie was in half an hour. She could do this. She’d done harder things while flaring than a date. 

Jade couldn’t help but be insecure about whether Perrie would be interested enough in her to look past how the flare was going to be effecting her. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. 

Sliding out of bed, Jade got dressed in something presentable enough. She glared at her hair in the mirror, not having the energy to do anything with it but let it run wild today. Jade couldn’t even muster the energy to put her contacts in, sticking with her glasses today. She felt like the before image on a cheesy makeover show. 

Jade slipped her comfy shoes on at the door, taking her cane in hand as she left the house, locking the door behind her. The coffee shop Perrie had suggested was fifteen minutes away, so Jade needed to shake a leg if she wanted to be there on time. 

-

Jade had only been waiting at the coffee shop for a couple minutes before Perrie arrived. Perrie beamed that contagious smile at Jade and Jade just had to copy it. Jade had already moved the chair opposite hers out of the way so Perrie could wheel easily into the spot. 

“Hey, you!” Perrie said happily. 

“Hi,” Jade giggled. 

“Have you ordered?” 

“I was waiting for you,” Jade said. 

They went together up to the counter, ordering their drinks. When their order was called, Jade grabbed them one at a time and brought them to the table. 

“Thank you, babes,” Perrie said.

Jade blushed. “Oh - no problem.”

They talked over their coffees for over an hour about nothing and everything. Where they were from, their families, their jobs, their friends, their disabilities. Jade had never connected so easily with someone before. 

“This might be a bit presumptuous of me,” Perrie began. “But do you wanna come over to my place when we’re done here?” 

Once again, Jade blushed. “I’d love to, yeah.” 

-

Perrie had taken her shirt off. 

Jade sat on Perrie’s bed, her cane resting up against the wall, her eyes scanning over Perrie’s body. Perrie wheeled closer to the bed, transferring into it. Jade couldn’t help but laugh as she worked to move out of the way so Perrie could transfer. Perrie giggled lightly, situating herself against the pillows. 

“Come here, you,” Perrie reached her hand out and pulled Jade in for a kiss. Their lips moved together, Jade deepening the kiss as she carefully settled on top of Perrie. 

“I’m flaring today. I won’t have much energy to like, you know…” Jade said. 

“It’s okay. Just this is okay,” Perrie said against Jade’s lips. 

Jade grinned, pulling back to stare at Perrie’s face. She could spend all day counting the freckles. Perrie gently pulled Jade back to her, kissing her again. 

It was more than okay.


End file.
